St. Martin's, Apr 2005, 7.99, 352 pp.
ISBN: 0312934300
In Beaumont, South Carolina, Annie Fortenberry is trying to prepare her historical mansion turned B&B into a wedding reception for her best friend Jamie Swift and millionaire Max Holt. Her handyman Erdle Torney who came with the place she inherited from her grandmother has failed to do his job so she loses her temper and goes after him with a rolling pin. Visitor Wes Bridges gets in the way and is knocked out.
A gardener borrowed from her neighbor finds human skeletal remains in an isolated area where foliage has grown. The victim is Annie's spouse Charles who allegedly ran away several years ago. In fact, Wes is a private investigator working for Charles' mother to prove that Annie lost her temper and harmed her son. As the police suspect Annie as the killer, Wes believes she is innocent, but wonders if that is because he really likes her when she is not holding a rolling pin.
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases - 10% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- very humorous
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Special suspect?
- lover
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- wedding preparations
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- small businessman
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
